Tanzania: UDA to buy over 70 buses for running BRT for 2 years

Usafiri Dar es Salaam (UDA) and Dar es Salaam Commuter Bus Owners Association (Darcoboa) have established a new company that will run the much-anticipated Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (Dart) project.

The company, Uda Rapid Transit, has entered into a two-year agreement with Dart Agency in which it (the company) will purchase and run a fleet of 76 modern buses to operate the BRT project in the city.

The project is scheduled to take off four months from now.

The Dart Agency Chief Executive, Ms Asteria Mlambo, represented the government’s side at the signing ceremony while the Simon Group chairman which operates UDA, Mr Robert Kisena, and Darcoboa chairman Sabri Mabruki represented Uda Rapid Transit at the signing ceremony that took place at the offices of the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mr Saidi Meck Sadiki.

Mr Sadiki himself, and the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government Ms Hawa Ghasia witnessed the signing.

Ms Ghasia said the event marked an important milestone in the history of improving the transportation system in the country’s commercial city.

“This is another clear testimony that the government can work with the private sector for the common good of the people,” she said.

The 76 buses to be purchased will include two categories. The first will be those measuring 18 metres long which have the capacity to carry 150 passengers each while the second will be those measuring 12 metres long, each with a capacity of carrying 80 passengers at a go.

Ms Ghasia urged the new company to make sure they perform well in the interim period to build capacity to compete in the tender to operate the system.

Mr Mabruki pledged to offer good services during the interim period.

“We thank the government for offering us this chance...we will make good use of it,” he said.

He said that within two months from now, the company will bring two buses for the purpose of training drivers and that all 76 buses will be ready for operation by September 15, this year.

Mr Mabruki said the company expects to register with the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) to give chance to Tanzanians to buy shares and hence become part of owners.

Dar es Salaam RC Said Meck Sadick urged drivers and citizens to make sure that they guard buses and the project’s infrastructure to make it sustainable.

“Each one of us should be responsible to make this venture a success,” he said.